2 – You’ve heard of the canary in the coal mine. How about the turtle in the wetland?

Researchers from the University of Notre Dame report that painted and snapping turtles could be a useful source for measuring pollution in the Great Lakes from the historical dumping of industrial waste.

During work on a federal project to monitor coastal wetlands, researchers tested painted turtles, which can live up to 20 years, and snapping turtles, which live up to 50 years.

They analyzed the muscle, liver, shell and claws of captured turtles in four wetland locations in Lake Michigan for various metals.

They found that concentrations broadly correlated with assessments of metals in the soil of the wetlands.

Because turtles live longer than fish and are relatively high on the food chain, they can be a useful source for measuring wetland pollution.